The Gift
by Mike the TV
Summary: It’s 13 hours after Lost & Found and Mainframe is safe, the virals vanquished. Enzo prepares to leave for the Guardian Academy but all the while his love for AndrAIa has grown stronger and painfully intense. Can he bring himself to tell her how he feels?
1. It Makes No Diff'rence

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
This fic continues in the timeline started by "Lost and Found" and picks up the story in Mainframe, many hours later.  It will eventually contain strong sexual content and mature themes, although not in this chapter.

Lyrics from "It makes No Difference" are by Robbie Robertson

Lyrics from "Strange and Beautiful" are by Matt Hales

_It makes no diff'rence where I turn  
I can't get over you and the flame still burns_

_  
It makes no diff'rence, night or day  
The shadow never seems to fade away_

_  
And the sun don't shine anymore  
And the rains fall down on my door_

_It makes no diff'rence how far I go  
Like a scar the hurt will always show_

_  
It makes no diff'rence who I meet  
They're just a face in the crowd_

_On a dead-end street  
  
_

_And the sun don't shine anymore  
And the rains fall down on my door_

_Well, I love you so much  
It's all I can do  
Just to keep myself from telling you  
That I never felt so alone before_

_"What's the matter Matrix?"_

_"Nothing."  How could it be?  She was so perfect – perfect in every strand of aquamarine hair, every micron of her soft, golden skin.  And the touch of her hands, as they caressed his neck – that was the most perfect thing of all.  Well, almost.  All of his scowling and fits of temper seemed pretty silly, when you looked at it that way – he had the most perfect creature in the net for the love of his life.  How could anything be the matter?_

_"Nothing." He repeated again, and smiled, like he had so long ago, before the weight of the net had changed him.  His lips moved towards hers, and a new taste of her perfection…_

"Enzo!"

"What?"  The boy looked up, startled.  Dot was standing over the booth, her stern gaze squarely on his own.  Enzo could feel the flush on his cheeks.

"I told you – I need you to get some boxes from the storage room.  We're out of straws and ram chips."

"Uh…"

"Come on – you're getting big and strong enough to handle a few boxes.  So move your bitmap."

The boy gulped nervously and turned his stare down to the tabletop.  "I… I can't."

"You _can't_?"  Dot folded her arms and scowled.  "Enzo, you're 1.6 now – you're old enough to accept some responsibility.  I've been putting food on your table since you were 0.4, not to mention being the deleted Command.Com of this system.  I don't think it's too much to ask for you to help out around here once in a while."

"But-"

"Do you think they're going to let you say "I can't" at the Academy?  You're leaving in a few minutes, for User's sake!"  Dot sighed deeply.  "You're just lazy, aren't you?  Maybe it's a teenaged-boy thing…"

"Yeah."  It _was_ – but let her think he was lazy, if she wanted.  There was no way Enzo was leaving the security of that booth – not for a few micros, anyway.  Not for all the credits in the net.  "I'm lazy."

"Enzo-"

"I'll go in a few, OK?  I promise.  I was just thinking about something, I have to figure it out.  Homework."

Dot regarded him thoughtfully for a nano.  "Homework, eh?  Without your organizer open?  What's with you, anyway?  You're acting funny – even for _you_.  Are you feeling OK, Sweetie?"

"Nothin' – I'm fine.  I'll get the stuff in a few nanos, OK?"

"Sometimes I wonder if Megabyte did something to that little processor of yours before we rescued you…"  Dot smiled and kissed his forehead.  "No, I guess you're just a boy – that's explanation enough.  Don't stall too long, all right?  Watching a binome trying to drink an energy shake without a straw isn't a pretty sight."

"OK."  Enzo smiled weakly and Dot strode off, shaking her head.  The boy tried to force himself to think about anything except AndrAIa – chemistry tests, jetball, FORTRAN lectures…  But it wasn't easy.  AndrAIa was all he thought about lately, seemed like.  And those thoughts inevitably led to one thing – Enzo being stuck in a booth.  Or under his blanket.  Or curled up on the sofa, clutching a pillow.

"Maybe it'll be better once I get to the Academy." The youth sighed resignedly, daring at last to stand and head for the storage room.  That didn't feel right, though – as much as Enzo sometimes wanted to be free of the beautiful specter that haunted his mind from the nano he woke till he fell asleep at night, the thought of actually _being_ free of it was awful.  Seeing AndrAIa was all that got him through the cycle, sometimes – even if he knew that was all he'd ever be able to do.  It wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing.  The thought of being systems away from her ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped on it till it was a pathetic, bloody pulp.

The unfairness of it all was almost too much for Enzo to bear, sometimes, when he allowed himself to think about it.  Clearly, AndrAIa was the only sprite in the net for him – that much was obvious.  If she loved Matrix, as much of a pill as he was – well, obviously it was meant to be.  And his own feelings for her were true love, that was undeniable.  Clearly, AndrAIa was the only sprite in the net for him.

But the net had it's own trick to play on him – it created _two_ of him.  But only one AndrAIa!  So here he was, alone in the net – while simply by virtue of being first in line, his older self was with the ultimate babe in the net and probably the web, besides.  And Enzo was left with nothing – just his fantasies.

For a long time, one of those fantasies had been that maybe there _wasn't_ just one AndrAIa out there – maybe there really was another, and maybe he'd find her.  The AndrAIa that tortured his mind every cycle was a copy, after all – just like he was!  Her game was still floating out there somewhere, maybe even other games just like it.  Why couldn't he find her, in one of those games?  For a long time, such thoughts had kept the boy going in the face of his despair.

But no – as he got older, the young man began to realize that was just what it was – a fantasy.  The net was infinite, the number of games and systems beyond his powers of comprehension.  The odds of his ever running into another AndrAIa were so small that to even consider the possibility was simply setting himself up for further torture.  Besides, ever if he were to find her, the new AndrAIa would be too young for _him_.  How ironic was that?  Irony was one of those new words than Enzo had learned to use lately, and he didn't like it much.  No, it was the sort of story a little boy could put his faith in, but Enzo wasn't a little boy anymore.  Not really.

It hadn't been so bad when Enzo _was_ little – when he'd first come back, after the restart.  They'd survived the Daemon Wars (thanks to _him_, not that anyone ever gave him any credit) and he'd survived being kidnapped by Megabyte, losing his father to him,  before Skuzzy finally vanquished the evil virus once and for all.  No, that had been different – he'd been busy, and scared, and excited, too excited to worry about stuff like AndrAIa.  And even after everything calmed down, it hadn't been so bad.  He knew he loved the game sprite, of course – how could he not?  He was young, but he wasn't stupid.

No, he'd loved her – but he didn't really understand what it meant yet.  She was just the nicest, prettiest girl he'd ever seen – nice to him even when his own code twin had been mean.  He _wanted_ her because Matrix _had_ her, of course, but he didn't know just what he wanted her _for_.  A girlfriend?  Maybe that word had swam around in the boy's head – but he didn't really understand it.  No, she was just…  Alphanumeric.  Nice and pretty and _fun_ – more fun than anybody else in Mainframe.  She was the coolest.  And why couldn't he dream of finding her twin, floating around the net somewhere?  Why not?

Because he wasn't going to find her, that was why.  It was a silly little boy dream.  Things like that didn't happen in real life – and his real life was going to be spent without having the girl he loved with all his heart.  Never getting to be with the one you were meant to be with was bad enough, Enzo figured, but _knowing_ it – and knowing that she was with somebody who shared everything with you except the ability to appreciate what he had – was absolute torture.  And the way he wanted her now…  Well, it bore no resemblance to those nebulous little boy feelings of his childhood.  Now, his want for her more like a _need_ – an acute, physical pain that never totally went away.  It started with his processor and touched every line of code from his head to his toes, and it certainly didn't skip anywhere in between.  "Oh, AndrAIa…  AndrAIa, I love you…"

"What?"

The boy looked up, startled.  Dot was standing in the doorway, staring at him, and Enzo felt the his cheeks turning red again.  "Huh?"

"You were mumbling to yourself.  What's _with_ you lately?"

"Nothing, I'm fine.  I-"

"Are you going to sit there daydreaming all cycle, or are you going to bring the boxes I asked for?"

"Sorry!"  Enzo pushed himself to his feet – at least it hadn't been _that_ kind of daydream – and reached for a box of straws.  "I'll be right up."

They didn't seem to get together too much, anymore, the five of them.  Everyone was so busy now – Dot was the Command.Com and ran the diner and now that the net was open, she was negotiating trade deals with half the systems in the net.  Bob was doing more and more for the Guardian Council - he'd been a hero after the Daemon Wars, and they'd tried very hard to get him to serve full-time on the Council, but they couldn't convince him to leave Mainframe.   Matrix was the official Guardian for the system now that Bob was away so often, and AndrAIa – well, she kept things running around the P.O. in ways none of the rest of them understood.  Mouse knew about stuff like that, but Mouse wasn't around.  Even Enzo was busy now – finishing up his training with Bob, packing, generally getting ready to leave the only place he'd ever called home.  At least for a while.

So it was nice, having all of them together - eating Dot's cooking (she rarely had the time to cook anymore), sitting around the table, laughing, relaxing together in the living room in front of a vidwindow. Even Matrix was in a mellow mood. Enzo was glad everyone was together, but it just made him feel his impending departure all the more keenly. He curled up on the sofa next to Dot, casting occasional glances at AndrAIa's perfection and trying not to be too obvious about it. Matrix sat beside her, arm draped around her shoulder with an easy familiarity that made the boy's heart ache. Matrix, who was still a mystery to Enzo even after all the hours they'd spent together, even as Enzo knew he should understand Matrix better than anyone.  
  
Sometimes the young sprite had looked at himself in his bedroom mirror, trying to see his brother staring back at him instead of the little boy he usually felt like he was. He was getting taller, certainly, and some of the boyish roundness of his face was dropping away. But his body was thin, wiry - muscles just didn't seem to want to stick to it. His hair was scruffy and his chin was smooth and Enzo could only see a boy looking back at him. He didn't exactly want to see Matrix in that mirror most of the time - not really. But the scary part was, he didn't know just what he _did_ want to see. Except AndrAIa, right there next to him for the rest of his life. 

AndrAIa…He'd been dreaming again – dreaming of her hair, her eyes, her smell – when his attention was jerked back to reality by the word "supercomputer."  "What?"

Four pairs of eyes turned to him, surprised.  The boy realized he'd probably been quiet for a while.  "I said, I think it'd be a good idea for me to go with them – I have a couple of pretty sizable clients I've been wanting to get some face-time with for minutes."

"Go where?" Enzo said dumbly.

There were chuckles, and Matrix sneered and shook his head.  "Don't you _ever_ pay attention anymore?" Dot sighed.    "Bob and Matrix have to go to the Supercomputer for a security conference in two cycles.  I was just saying it would be a really good opportunity for me to drum up some business."

"Supercomputer?  Coolness – can _I_ go?"

"Of course not."

"What?  Why??"

Dot smiled and shook her head.  "School, Mr. Basic.  You'd have to miss two school cycles, and you can't afford that right now."

"But-"

"Listen – have you forgotten that one of the conditions for admission to the Academy is that you get passing grades in all your classes this term?  You can't afford to take any chances with that!"

"Yeah, Kiddo." Bob added.  "You're so close – don't do anything stupid and risk it all now.  Besides – you'll be seeing all you want of the Supercomputer and more when you get to the Academy.  Till you're sick of it."

"Crash!" Enzo scowled, folding his arms in front of him and fighting the urge to pout like a little kid.  As usual, he was left out of the good stuff – some things never seemed to change.

"Act your age." Dot chided.  "You'll survive missing one trip to the Supercomputer."

"Yeah, Little Sparky." AndrAIa added brightly, using the nickname Enzo both loved and hated.  "I don't get to go either – someone has to stay here and handle the games, right?  We'll make sure the system is safe while these slackers are off partying."

"Partying?" Bob laughed ruefully.  "You've never been to a security conference.  They're the most effective sleep-inducing program I've even seen."

"I guess." Enzo sighed.  A thought popped into his processor.  "So I have to stay here by myself?"

"What's the matter Kid – you scared?" Matrix grinned.

"No!" Enzo shot a glare at him.  It _was_ a weird thought – he'd never spent the night by himself before, unless you counted the one when he was still Megabyte's prisoner.  Maybe it'd be cool, to be by himself…  But definitely weird.

"Hmmm."  Dot scratched her chin thoughtfully.  "I didn't think about that – I'm not sure I want him here all by himself."

"Oh, _Dot_!  I'll be fine.  I'm 1.6, I'm not a little kid-"

"I have an idea.  Maybe AndrAIa could stay with you."

"What?"  Enzo felt his heart jump into his throat.

"Sure – it's only for one night, and our bedroom will be empty anyway.  And I'm sure AndrAIa doesn't want to stay at her place without Matrix.  How about it, AndrAIa?"

The game sprite shrugged cheerfully.  "It sounds fine to me.  I'll make sure he eats something healthy and gets to bed at a reasonable micro.  What do you say, Enzo?"

Enzo's head was spinning so fast he felt sure it would fly off his neck and hit the ceiling.  "I don't need a babysitter." He said softly, more out of reflex than anything else.

"Of course you don't.  But wouldn't you get lonely here all by yourself?  And this way, if a game cube drops you'll be together, so there's no risk of one of you getting stranded in there by yourself."

"I…  I guess, Sis."  AndrAIa – _here_?  In his own home, for the entire night?  With no one else there?  The boy wasn't sure he could deal with that.  But still – AndrAIa there, in his home…  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Don't worry – we'll have fun." AndrAIa giggled.  "I'm not babysitting – we'll just be friends, keeping each other company."

"Sure." The young man smiled weakly.  "It'll be pixelacious."

"That's settled then!" Dot said brightly, clapping her hands.  As usual, her will had won out.  "Ones less thing for me to worry about.  Now – who wants some cocoa?"


	2. Alone Together

Author's Note: If you choose to read this entire fic (as I obviously hope you do) you should be aware that it contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature – if you've read my earlier fic "Lost and Found" you have a good indicator of what to expect. I'd rate this fic NC-17 and if that's likely to offend you, please read no further than this chapter. I love feedback, so please feel free to leave reviews here, or e-mail me at Please, no flames – I make no pretense about the nature of this fic, and while I write to tell a story and not simply to spew out smut, I know this kind of fic isn't for everybody. Thanks!

It was only a couple of cycles until the others left for the Supercomputer, but to Enzo they felt like hours. A peculiar mixture of excitement and dread was in him, building by the nano. What would it be like, having AndrAIa all to himself? They'd done stuff before – games, jetball, circuit racing, heck – she'd even helped him study sometimes when it was just the two of them. But this was different – Matrix or Bob or AndrAIa wouldn't be just around the corner, or waiting for them at the Diner or the P.O. It would really be just them.

"Don't make a null of yourself!" the young man mumbled, weaving his way through the Baudway traffic on his zip board, backpack slung over his left shoulder. Would she be there already, when he got home? What would he say to her? Could he act casual and cool, knowing that the love of his life, the one he'd never have, was soon to be a memory – someone he saw only saw on Academy breaks and holidays? "Oh, User – don't let me cry in front of her! Please…"

Enzo, his mind far away, narrowly missed collisions with a couple of speeding vehicles and drew a few angry glares from pedestrians diving for cover, but nevertheless made it back to the diner in one piece. Cecil was fussily cleaning the counter and there were a few customers scattered about, but no sign of AndrAIa. "Hi, Cecil."

"Young Master." The service binome replied stiffly.

"Need any help?"

"I am fine, _Monsieur_." Cecil rarely seemed pleased by Enzo's presence and never by his assistance, so the binome's answer was no surprise. "Madam has left ze establishment in capable hands."

"But not feet. Guess I'll head home, then." Enzo was happy enough not to have to slop the tables and deliver drinks, but a part of him distinctly dreaded walking into his apartment and closing the door behind him. It would feel so _strange_ if Andri was there – what if he got all emotional in front of her? Even worse, what if being around her for so long made him daydream again and he thought about _that_ kind of thing, and he got all worked up and she saw his…his… User – he'd delete! It would be far worse than death.

Maybe he could slip away after dinner, say he needed to do homework? Hide in his room all night, that'd be the safest. But she wouldn't understand, she'd be hurt – Enzo knew that. And the notion of deliberately hurting her was out of the question. Besides – why shouldn't he _want_ to be with her? She was the most delightful sprite he'd ever known, right? That's why he wanted her in the first place! So why shouldn't he just enjoy her company for an evening? It would be easy.

"Enzo – that you?" a voice called from the kitchen as Enzo popped open the door to the apartment, and he knew from the nano he heard that voice that the evening would be anything but easy. Just hearing it filled him with a longing and sadness that made him want to cry right then and there.

"Hi Andri."

AndrAIa emerged from the kitchen, smiling brightly. "Hey Little Sparky! Just finishing up dinner now – have a good cycle at school?"

"Fine. Thanks… Thanks for coming over and all."

"I'm glad I'm here – I'd have been lonesome at home without Matrix." The mention of his older self deepened Enzo's despair, for some reason. "Sorry if I'm spoiling your big chance to be on your own for the first time!"

"No! It's fine." The young sprite said hastily. "I'm happy you're here. I can't cook or anything anyways-"

"Ah – now it comes out! Well, sit down and I'll serve up dinner – I'm no Dot when it comes to cooking, but I can fry up microchips as well as anybody."

"OK. Thanks!" Enzo forced a smile and sat down at the table, running a hand across his face and feeling clammy sweat there. It was going to be a long night.

Dinner wasn't so bad – AndrAIa's cooking was fine, and the clatter of forks and plates was a distraction, if nothing else. Enzo was quieter than normal, but managed to smile when AndrAIa said something funny and compliment her cooking a few times. After they were done, he insisted on clearing the dishes and set up his organizer on the table, figuring on getting his homework started before there was any sort of lull in the evening.

That hadn't been so bad either – although when AndrAIa had reached over his shoulder and helped him with his calculus the young man was glad he was sitting down – and he stretched the work out as long as he could. But at some point a few micros after he'd actually finished his real class work and started tapping his keypad randomly, the boy's guilt got the better of him and, with a sigh, he closed his organizer and headed for the living room.

"Hey, Sparky – all finished?"

"Yup." The game sprite patted the couch and with what he hoped was an unnoticeable shiver, Enzo sat next to her. "What're you watching?"

"Mainframe Idol. I don't know why – everyone on it is terrible. And they have that waiter from Al's judging – the one on the roller skates? He's pretty annoying."

"Yeah." Enzo turned his attention to the vidwindow and watched in silence for a while, acutely aware of the game sprite's presence next to him. It was usually pretty high-risk for Enzo to be so close to AndrAIa for any length of time, but he wasn't feeling those feelings now – just sadness. She filled his processor like she always did, but what he felt wasn't need – just regret.

"Do you think I'd look good with an earring?" Enzo blurted out. Almost as soon as he had, he had to resist slapping himself in the forehead. Why did he just say stuff like that, without thinking? _Idiot!_

"An earring?" AndrAIa sounded surprised. "What brought this on?"

"I… I dunno. Just thought about it, I guess. I have been for a while. Not a toy one like during the Daemon thing - a real one, with my ear pierced and all."

"Well, have you asked Dot about it?"

"Yeah." Enzo blushed glumly. "She practically tore me a new output."

"Oh! Poor Enzo."

"That was nothing compared to when I asked about a tattoo, though. I didn't get my hearing back for a whole minute." The boy looked up to see AndrAIa with her hand over her mouth, trying to choke down her laughter. "Yeah I know - I'm pathetic..."

"No! I... I'm sorry, it's just pretty funny, that's all." The game sprite squeezed his hand, sending a thrilling tingle through him. "You know, you're getting close to the age where you can do something like that on your own - not even Dot can tell you not to. So I think it's your decision - or it will be soon, anyway. But - why, Little Sparky?"

"I... I don't know. I was just thinking about it. It'd be something different."

"Yeah. Well, you know I have one - an earring. And I have my belly-button pierced, too. So I don't necessarily see anything wrong with it."

"Yeah?" Enzo gulped. He didn't want to start thinking about her belly-button just now.

"Yeah. But you know what?"

"What?"

The game sprite smiled. "I don't think you should do something like that because you want to look more like someone else. If that's what you're thinking, I mean. I think you should just try and express yourself the way _you_ want to. But you probably know that already."

"Oh." Enzo sighed. "Thanks." Why had he even mentioned the earring to AndrAIa - it just made him sound more like a stupid kid than ever. _Why can't you do anything right, Dummy?_ He leaned back on the couch and stared numbly at the vidwindow for a long time, losing himself in his own thoughts until he may as well have been all alone in the apartment.

Then, all of a sudden, the vidwindow was gone – although Enzo wouldn't have been able to say what was happening anyway on it – and AndrAIa was staring at him. "Now then - what's wrong?"

"What?"

"You heard me – what's wrong, Little Sparky?"

"Why do you call me that?" Enzo mumbled. "I'm as tall as you are."

"Sorry." The game sprite smiled gently. "Just force of habit, I guess – you'll always be my Little Sparky. If it bothers you I'll stop-"

"No!" Even that small hint of hurt was enough to cut Enzo in half. "It's fine – I like it. Don't worry about it."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"Hmmm." AndrAIa squeezed his hand softly. "You still didn't answer my question, though."

"Huh?" Enzo looked up despairingly. "What was the question?"

"What's the matter? Why have you been so quiet and low-res all night? Don't you want me here?"

"Yeah! You're… Of course I do. I love having you here."

"Could've fooled me." The game sprite sighed and folded her arms. "You've been quiet around me a lot, lately. I just thought maybe you were mad at me, or something. The 'Little Sparky' thing?"

"No – I said it was fine." Enzo forced a smile. "I promise – I'm not mad at you. You're a great friend, and… I promise I'm not mad."

"Well – that's good. But are you OK? Are you worried about the Academy? You know you can tell me anything that's bothering you."

How Enzo wished that were true! "No, I'm not really worried. Just a little, maybe, but I know I can handle it. I've had Bob training me for six hours so I figure that gives me a head start… I'm fine."

AndrAIa stared at him for a nano. "OK, then." She wrapped her arm around him and gave him a little squeeze, and the youth's heart skipped two beats. "I'm glad you're OK – I was worried."

"Don't worry." Enzo smiled, but he could see the doubt in AndrAIa's face. It was a face that didn't look right with doubt on it – it should have been clear and bright, bright enough to light up the whole room around it. Being so close to her was overwhelming – overwhelming his senses, his processor… With a sigh, the boy opened the vidwindow and turned to stare at Mike the TV crooning a spine-rattling rendition of "New Baud, New Baud", feeling sick with guilt.

Neither sprite said anything for a long time, but Enzo was aware of something new building inside him – something small and weak and unidentifiable, deep down in his gut. As they sat and stared at the vidwindow it grew stronger, slowly at first but inexorably, building inside him until it was impossible to ignore. It was a resolve that scared him – horrified him, even. How could he even think about what he wanted to say, much less actually say it? Things rarely went well when he said what he was thinking – especially to AndrAIa. But the feelings that he'd held inside him for so long were torturing him, screaming to be let out. To speak them was impossible, but _not_ to speak them…

"I love you."

"What?"

"I…I…" Breathing heavily, Enzo switched off the vidwindow and covered his face in his hands. "I love you, AndrAIa."

He could hear the game sprite next to him, breathing slowly, evenly. "Oh, my."

"I'm sorry."

"I love you too, you know."

"I'm sorry-"

"Come on, now." Her hands, soft and cool, were at his own, gently prying them away from his face. "Look at me."

"I'm an idiot! I'm so sorry…"

"You're not! Stop that." AndrAIa held the boy's hands in her own and met his gaze. "You know how much you mean to me, Little Sparky. You know I love you."

"I don't mean that." Enzo whispered, his heart filled with despair.

The game sprite sighed deeply. "Oh, Sweetheart-"

"Don't! Please don't feel sorry for me. Please don't."

"Enzo…" The game sprite stroked his cheek softly, and the boy shivered all over. "That's so sweet of you-"

"I know what you think." The young man rasped, swallowing a sob. "I know it's stupid and I'm sorry I said anything. But I just had to tell you. I love you and I always will. I love you!"

"Hmm." She stared at him, her eyes full of tenderness and affection, but to Enzo it was a knife through the heart. "I don't know quite what to say."

"I love you." The boy's hand, unbidden, rose and slowly stroked the softness of AndrAIa's cheek. "You're incredible. You're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and you never treated me like a stupid kid, even when everyone else did. You're perfect and I was born to be with you and… And… I never will!"

"Enzo-"

"I love you so much!" He felt the shame of a tear on his cheek now, but was powerless to stop it. "You were the one I was supposed to be with. Forever. Except I'm not even supposed to be here – I'm a mistake. And because of that I'll never have anybody. Never!"

"You're not a mistake! You're a miracle."

"Just stop-"

"You're a miracle, Enzo. And everyone here loves you, just like I do. No one _ever_ thinks you shouldn't be here, or that you're a mistake. We love you!"

"It doesn't matter." He whispered. AndrAIa reached to wipe a tear from his face but he nudged her hand away. "I'm not supposed to exist, so there's never going to be anyone for me. Not like you."

"Enzo-" She tried to embrace him, but he pushed her away.

"I'm sorry I said anything. I know I'm a stupid kid and you don't deserve to have to deal with this stuff." He sobbed once, twice. "User, it's hard. I love you so much and I know I always will, and it doesn't even matter. But I couldn't help it – I had to tell you."

"It's all right. I understand, I really do."

How _could_ she? "I'm going away soon, so… So it's better. You shouldn't have to deal with this. You're happy and everything and I don't want to ruin it."

"Don't say that." The game sprite kissed his cheek gently. "I wish you weren't leaving –we all do. You're our angel-"

"Sorry!" Enzo pushed himself to his feet and took a couple of slow, deep breaths. "I'll be OK. It's OK. I think I better just go to bed."

He strode towards his bedroom, wanting nothing now except the solace of solitude. She rose as if to follow. "Sparky-"

"Please leave me alone. Please? I'm really sorry but I just want to go to bed now."

"Oh, Enzo."

"Sorry!" He closed his door and her voice was lost to him. In the silence he could hear himself sobbing softly, and felt all the more disgusted for it. With a growl of frustration the young sprite threw himself on his bed, face down, and felt all the feelings – the pain, the sadness, and the gut-wrenching need – wash over him like a tidal wave. It was over now, at least – she knew him for what he was. A pathetic, sorry excuse for a man who didn't deserve to be loved by the likes of her. And, too tired in his very code even to change or shut off his light, he lay there for a long time and tried to forget everything that had happened since that fateful cycle outside the Principal Office, when his home was full of strangers and everything in his life changed.

All was silent, for a long time. Milliseconds or microseconds, the boy wasn't certain. When the creak of the door and the soft footfalls reached his ear, Enzo didn't move – didn't look up, didn't say a word. He wanted to be alone, but couldn't summon the will to order her away. His bedsprings sagged, and there was a soft touch in his hair. She didn't say anything to break the silence at first, just smoothed his hair slowly and gently. "You're so different from your brother…"

"Please leave me alone."

"So different." Enzo heard the game sprite sigh, her hand never leaving his hair. "So alike, too. But he changed, before he was your age. He got angry and afraid, and tried to protect himself more and more. So no one could hurt him."

"Please just… I want to be alone."

"No you don't. You've the same as you always were – you just want to be close to people. When you're hurt or you see someone else hurt… That's who you are. To love and be loved – that's who you are. It's easier to _get_ hurt that way though, isn't it?"

Enzo opened his eyes at last, hoping they were dry. "I'm sorry I said all that stuff to you. You've always been so nice to me – nicer than anyone else. I'm sorry."

AndrAIa smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "Don't you be sorry. We are who we are – we can't change that. I wouldn't want you to be any different – you're very special, just like you are. If you weren't I'd never have left that game, all those hours ago."

"Oh, AndrAIa." The young man buried his head against her shoulder, trying hard not to cry again. The unfairness of it all was just too much. His love for her was perfect, pure – and it would always be the bane of his life. "I'm scared."

"Shhh. I know."

"What if there's no one else out there who understands me, Andri? I'm _supposed_ to be with you – I know it! What if I'm all alone forever?"

"You won't be." The game sprite whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "I promise – someone will see how wonderful you are some cycle. I promise."

"Not like you." The boy stared at her smiling face, lost himself in her liquid eyes. "I don't think I can do it – I don't think I can be with anyone, Andri. Why would anybody want a crybaby like me? A copy? A mistake!"

"Not a mistake. A miracle. You're totally unique, Enzo – a special sprite, not like anyone else in the net. Your code may not be unique, but _you_ are. Your code doesn't make you the person you are – what's in your heart does."

"AndrAIa, don't-"

"Hush, now." AndrAIa kissed his forehead again. "Trust me on this – any girl in the net would be lucky to have someone as sweet as you to take care of them."

Enzo sighed, breathed deep. "I… I'm just scared of… Going away. Being alone. I don't know if I can-"

"You'll be fine. You're strong."

As strong as _him_? Enzo had his doubts. "I'm scared of trying to- I don't know. Other people. Girls. All of it. I'm just scared."

"I know, Little Sparky. I was scared too – scared leaving my game for the first time, scared leaving Mainframe and trying to survive out there. That was a frightening time – you're brother was scared, too. Facing what you don't know always is."

"But you had each other." He whispered. AndrAIa sighed and squeezed him tight, and he returned the favor, grateful for the gesture. "I'll be all alone."

"I know you're scared." The game sprite held him, kissed his cheek. "But you don't have to be scared forever. We'll always be here. Just know how special you are, and you'll be fine."

"AndrAIa." Their eyes met and the boy stared into hers, unable to look away. "I love you."

"I know." She kissed his cheek again. "I love you too." Her face was just microns from his own, hovering there. There was doubt in her perfect eyes, hovering there as well. Then her lips were on his, dancing there softly for a nano before pulling away.

"AndrAIa?" Enzo had the sense that he was in a dream, that he'd drifted off to sleep with his face buried in his pillow, not realizing it. Her lips felt so real when they touched his, though – so soft, so sweet. "Oh, AndrAIa…"

"You're very special." She whispered, barely audible. "You're warm, caring… You're strong. You deserve to be loved – always." She kissed him again.

"Andri." The touch of her lips sent a fire through his body, a jolt that brought a tingle to every micron of his skin. "Oh, Andri!"

"Shhh." Her lips caressed his own, then his eyes, his nose, his ear. "Don't talk just now, OK?"

"Mmm?"

"Enzo… I love your brother very much. I know he can be… Difficult. Sometimes. He's seen terrible things, he's had to do… He's had a difficult time of it." AndrAIa kissed the boy's forehead and took his face in her hands. "I want you to know – I've faced the net and the web with him, and he with me. I've always been in love with him, through all of it – and I always will be. Do you understand?"

The onslaught on Enzo's senses had his processor reeling, overloaded with thoughts and feelings. "I… Sure."

The game sprite smiled. "That'll never change, Enzo. We faced everything together – everything." She stroked his hair again. "It means so much, having someone who loves you when you're scared, facing the unknown. When things started to change, for both of us – with our bodies, everything – thank the User we could face it together. When we discovered each other - as scary as it could have been, it was wonderful."

"Andri-"

"I don't want you to have to face that alone." She kissed him again, gently caressed his upper lip between her own. "You should be with someone who loves you when you face that, Sparky - it should be a wonderful nano in your life. You deserve that. And I love you."

"Mmm." Enzo could feel his hands as they caressed AndrAIa's back, her lips as they massaged his. If it was a dream, he never wanted it to end. Even as, in his processor, he knew what she'd said about his brother was true and unshakable. The nano was what it was – and they were together. "Oh, User!"

"Enzo." The game sprite smiled cheekily. "You're a pretty good kisser, you know that?"

"Mmm. Really?"

"I always knew." She sighed. "I always knew how you felt, I guess. I just tried to tell myself that it wasn't true, that I shouldn't worry about it. But I always knew." She kissed his neck softly. "I'm sorry it hurts so much, Enzo."

"I know."

"But we're here tonight, aren't we?" They shared a smile, and Enzo dared to find the silkiness of her neck with his lips, to inhale the sweet perfume of her, so faintly scented of the sea. "Enzo."

"Andri…"

"Hush now, Beautiful Boy." Her lips were on his neck again, lingering, tasting him. Her hands were in his hair and they were kissing, her sweet breath making him feel light, weightless even. His hands were on her neck, her back, her belly, boldly exploring places he'd barely dared dream of. And they were together. If it was a dream, he never wanted it to end.

"Let's take this off now." She whispered, tugging his t-shirt free of his jeans. "All right?"

"Y-yes."

The game sprite grinned mischievously. "Everything will be all right – I promise." Enzo felt the thrill of fear rising with his shirt as she lifted it over his head, slowly ran her hands down his bare shoulders. "Trust me, OK?"

****

****


	3. Dreams

THE GIFT

CHAPTER III

"Yes." He whispered, nodding, wishing he'd taken the opportunity to lift weights with Matrix when he'd had the chance. Her hands were on his chest now, soft, gentle, and the boy groaned as she kneaded him slowly. "Oh! Oh, User!"

"Mmm. Nice." They shared another kiss, another jolt of fire. The game sprite gently pushed him to a supine position, slowly kissing her way down his throat to his chest, her lips pausing to caress his nipples, and he squirmed under her, lost in a fog of pure sensation. "I knew you'd like that." She whispered, straddling him and reaching for her blouse. "Help me with this, OK?"

"OK." The boy mouthed. Numb with fear, he reached for her seashell necklace and slowly lifted it over her head. She smiled in encouragement and guided his hands to her blouse, lifted her arms. "Y-you're sure?"

"Very." She nodded. _It's true!_ The boy thought to himself. _It really isn't a dream._ His hands were at her side, lifting the silky material of her shirt slowly, over her navel, over her chest, over her head, off. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of her breasts – round and perfect, the stuff of many a dream but beautiful beyond any imagining. His hands found them, cupped them gently, and they were soft and delicate to his touch. The game sprite cooed softly and gritted her teeth. "Oh, my."

"Am I… It's all right?"

"You have no idea."

They shared a smile and he ran his fingers, light as a feather, over her nipples. "Oh User – it's incredible. They're incredible. _You're_ incredible!"

"What?" she giggled.

"I… I've never, you know. I've never… _Seen_ them before. Breasts. My User, they're so beautiful-"

"Sweet talker." The mischievous grin returned to her face and she lowered himself on top of him, slowly. "Everything about you is sweet, My Love. Mmm… Your kisses certainly are."

"I love you!" They touched at last, bare skin to bare skin, and the power of it was incredible, devastating. He could feel her nipples against his chest, every breath as his slid against her skin. They kissed deeply and for a long time, his heart beating louder and faster with each nanosecond. "Ungh… User!"

"Shhh." AndrAIa soothed. She pulled up, rested on her elbows. "It's all right now, shhh."

"Oh User, Andri-"

"Hush." She kissed him on the nose. "Calm down, now. Just relax."

Easy for _her_ to say. "AndrAIa-"

"Just relax, Love. I'm not going anywhere, there's no rush. All we have to do is discover each other. There's no hurry."

"Ohhh… I'll try." She was so beautiful, so much more sensual and perfect even than in his wildest fantasy. How could she be _more_ incredible than he'd imagined her? How could he possibly surround the notion of _being_ with her, in real life? The young sprite could hear himself panting, heart pounding against his chest.

"I can feel how excited you are." AndrAIa smiled, glancing towards his nether regions. "I understand, don't worry. Just breathe, nice and slow. Nice and slow. It'll be wonderful, I promise – just let it happen. Don't rush, don't force it. Everything feels better if you take it nice and slow."

"But you're so amazing!"

"Thanks. You're so sweet, Love." The game sprite kissed his nose again. "You're pretty amazing, too. Tell you what – you just sit tight and leave everything to me for a little bit, OK?"

Scared as he was, that sounded pretty good to him – even if it sounded a little scary in itself. "K-k-k."

"K." she grinned. "Trust me?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Good." She lowered her weight onto him again, her softness a wonderful sensation all over his body. Pausing only to share one more kiss with the boy, she inched her way down his wiry body, lips dancing over his chin, his throat, his chest. Enzo could only sigh and close his eyes, writhing gently as she found his stomach, lingered over her navel playfully for a nano. The sensations were beyond anything he'd ever felt, ever dreamed.

Enzo felt himself drowning in the feeling, losing himself in the sensual overload of her touch, the slow buildup towards crescendo, when he felt a tugging at his waist and opened his eyes. He started dumbly for a nano as AndrAIa worked at the buttons of his jeans, one by one. "Uh! Andri – w-w-what are you doing!"

"Hush now. Trust me, remember?"

"B-but…" The boy had realized of course that he had a part to play in all this, so to speak – realized it on some level, anyway. But now that the moment was upon him a chasm of trepidation opened up before him. He'd struggled for hours to hide himself from her under his clothes – and now she was going to see it _bare_? "Oh jeez… Andri, I – what are you-"

"Shhh." The game sprite stroked his belly reassuringly. "I'm just going to take the edge off a little - make sure you'll enjoy things more later, that's all. I've learned a few things about sprites your age."

"Huh?"

"Trust me. Now – lift up for me, Love."

"Oh User, AndrAIa- I… I don't know if I can!"

"Everything will be fine. I promise. Close your eyes if it makes you feel better, OK?" He hesitated still, but her smile was reassuring and gentle. "I promise you'll like it." With a shudder, Enzo squeezed his eyes tight and lifted his bitmap clear of the bed. It took but a nano, and he could feel the cool air of the room on his hips, AndrAIa's warm breath on his manhood. The sheets were smooth against his backside and her hands were on his thighs, soothing and soft. "There we go."

He couldn't resist a peek, through slitted eyes. He was stiff as a hard disk, of course – harder than he'd ever been in his life, but he didn't need his eyes to tell him that. He shivered as AndrAIa ran her hand through the patch of soft hair above his maleness, stooped to kiss him there. "Oh!" he gasped as her cool palm encircled him. "Oh, User!"

"Mmm. So beautiful." The game sprite sighed. Her hand found the fullness of his pouch, the sensation like a bolt of energy that would have overloaded any surge protector. With her other she gently stroked and kneaded his thighs. "That's it. Just relax – don't fight the feeling. Isn't it nice?"

"Andri. Andri! Uhh…" His hands found her hair, lost in the softness of it.

She kissed the very tip of his member, and he gasped and moaned, his muscles tensing. "Don't fight it now, Love – just let the feelings come. Relax and let it take you – it's what we were made for. You don't have to hold it back – just let it come." With that, she closed her lips around his head, tasted him with her tongue.

"Ungh! Oh User!" Enzo groaned. The crescendo was boiling in him now, wonderful and terrible and frightening and exhilarating. Nothing could have prepared the boy for the warm embrace of the game sprite's mouth, the slight roughness of her tongue as she rolled it up and down his length. No dream, no fantasy could have approached the sensation of her lips gently drawing on his skin, coaxing him towards a nano of indescribable pleasure. The fire was in him and around him, consuming him and his thoughts until all that he was became the connection with her, his flesh and her mouth. Her hands cradled his pouch gently as he built towards climax, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow. "Ooh..."

"Let it come." She whispered, pausing for only a nano that felt like an hour to Enzo. He sighed deeply in relief as she enveloped him again, shuddered as he felt himself swell between her lips, the moment upon him now, unstoppable and inexorable. With waves of pure ecstasy the moment came, every line of code in his body shot through with pleasure as he released himself to her, surrendered to her. It seemed to last forever, like nothing he'd ever felt before. The fire washed over him in waves, each one stronger than the last, his body trembling and his manhood aflame. He groaned for the pure release of it, all the power in his body surging through him and into her. He was sure it would never end, _could_ never end – sure he'd die of pure joy soon anyway, his heart burst in his chest. _I sure hope this isn't a dream._

The world was nothing but sensation – the rapid beating of his heart, the song of his breathing, the warm wetness of AndrAIa around his length, the touch of her hair in his hands. Never would Enzo have believed he could last so long, give so much of his essence – it didn't seem possible that this was the same act that he'd experienced only in dreams and daydreams, maddeningly brief and unsatisfying. This was pure satisfaction, complete _completion_. And when, at last, his heart began to slow and the fire began to cool to a warm glow and thought to return, he knew at last that it wasn't a dream. No dream could compare to the reality of AndrAIa.

The game sprite lingered over his manhood, slowly coaxing him down from the heights of his ecstasy. She gently licked his head and kissed a drop of his essence from the tip, and smiled up at the young man. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Enzo had no response, bar an astonished stare – there was no air in his lungs, too many thoughts in his processor. The game sprite laughed musically and slowly kissed her way up his lean torso until her lips found his again, caressed them gently. "My love… Did you like that?"

"An…Andri." He whispered, smiling slightly and stroking her cheek. "My God!"

"I'll take that for a yes?"

"Yes!" he rasped, hugging her to him. "User, I… I thought I was going to die! I never imagined anything could feel like that."

"Oh, Love." The game sprite slowly rocked him in her embrace. "I've heard that before. I'm glad it was special for you."

"It was!" User, she felt wonderful – soft and warm, her scent filling his nose, making him light-headed. The glow of ecstasy still warmed him, and the boy thought he'd burst from happiness. "Thank you."

"Silly."

"Andri, did… I mean, when I – did you-"

"Of course." She smiled. "Didn't it feel nice, when I kept you inside me?"

"Yeah!" the boy nodded. "I guess I wasn't sure if you would. Not that I was thinking about it or anything - I _couldn't_! It's all right?"

"I told you – everything about you is sweet."

"Andri!"

AndrAIa giggled and kissed him all over his face, then snuggled up next to him, her arms cradling him against her. "You're such an angel, Love. So young." She sighed "So young…"

Enzo could see doubt in her eyes again, and kissed her cheek over and over, reassuringly. "Andri?"

"Hmm." The game sprite smiled and tapped his forehead. "Pimple!"

"Crash – don't remind me. I hate those things."

"Don't worry – you have beautiful skin, hardly any blemishes. It'll never be a big problem for you, Love."

"Really?"

"Sure." The game sprite stroked his cheek tenderly. "You shaving yet, Angel?"

"No. Soon, I hope."

"A little while yet, I think. A little while. You're about the same age we were, Love. A little older even, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think, Silly? When we first made love. Not that we would have called it that – not that we knew anything about _anything_. There was no one to tell us, that's all." Enzo wasn't sure what he felt, hearing those words from her. But his curiosity on the topic had always been strong and almost despite himself, he wanted to hear more. He smiled and squeezed AndrAIa in his arms. She kissed him gently on top of the head. "We were scared – he was more scared than I was, though. It was tougher for him."

"It was in a strange system, like none we'd never been to before. Beautiful, though – tropical, with beaches, jungles, a mountain – a sea the same color as the one in my game."

"Really?"

"I don't see oceans like mine very often " the game sprite sighed. "It was lovely there – we kicked off our shoes and ran barefoot in the sand, and walked for a long time looking for their Principal Office. When it got dark, we decided to sleep on the beach that night, and look again in the morning." She smiled with the memory, her eyes far away. It filled Enzo with an ugly jealousy that shamed him – he loved his brother, after all. But he still wanted to hear more – _needed_ to.

AndrAIa sighed again and continued. "Well – when your brother decided to take a bath in the lagoon, I was supposed to forage for dinner – but I snuck through the bushes and peeked at him."

"AndrAIa!' Enzo gasped. "You _did_?"

"Hey – don't pretend you wouldn't have peeked at a certain game sprite if you'd had the chance!"

"Oh! I... Uh-"

"It's all right." She chuckled. "We were young, but growing up pretty fast. We were having thoughts we didn't understand. About each other, you know."

"Sure." Enzo whispered.

"Well – I didn't tell him I'd seen him, but then that night while we were sleeping he had a wet dream, poor thing. We didn't know what they were called, but…" The game sprite smiled at Enzo. "You've had a few, I'll bet."

"Andri! Crash…" If his face weren't still flushed from moments earlier, Enzo was sure if he would have blushed furiously. And it didn't help that the subject of most of his dreams was cuddling with him that very nano. As it was, he could only stammer and stare at his feet, but that didn't help his embarrassment – the offending object was squarely in the way. Her shyly pulled his discarded t-shirt over his middle.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Love. I hope someone told you about this sort of thing, didn't they?"

"Um – yeah. Sort of."

"Good, that's good. We didn't have anyone to tell us about this stuff – we didn't know what was happening to us, what to expect. He was very scared, very embarrassed. I knew what the problem was, even if I didn't exactly understand why things were happening to it. I asked him about it and he got all stammery and shy, and then I admitted I'd peeked at him-"

"Crash! What'd he say?"

"He was mad at first." AndrAIa sighed. "But then I held him and told him it'd be all right, and I told him what was happening to me. How I thought it all tied in together… He figured out it had to do with swapping codes. And that's when I suggested we should be even."

"Even?"

"Even." She nodded slyly. "You know, I'd seen _him_, so-"

"Andri!"

"Wanna hear a secret?" she grinned. "I just said that because I wanted to be naked next to him. I wanted it more than anything else in the net."

"What happened?"

"Guess." AndrAIa giggled, kissing his nose. "One thing led to another, and… We did some things. Not everything, but enough. And that was our first time together."

"Wow." Enzo whispered, trying to get his brain around everything she'd told him. It was hard to imagine Matrix as a shy, bumbling teenager around AndrAIa – but then, that was certainly how _he_ felt now.

"Enzo, I want you to understand – it was wonderful. It could have been scary and awful, but it was wonderful. Everyone's first time should be." She took the youth's face in her hands. "Babe, it was wonderful because we cared about each other – we loved each other, with all our hearts. And I want you to know how wonderful it can be when you love someone very much, the way I love you. Understand?"

"Yeah." Her words hit him with a bittersweet finality, but nevertheless he loved her even more at that nano than he had before, if such a thing were possible. "Thanks."

"Beautiful boy." She kissed him again, her hands behind his neck. "Sweet, beautiful boy. I think it's only fair _we_ be even, don't you?" She winked and tossed his shirt aside, revealing his renewed excitement.

"AndrAIa! You mean-"

"Less talk. More action." She giggled. She sat up and grasped his hands. "You do it, Love."

"Oh, Man… I-"

"Shhh." She smiled reassuringly, but it didn't do much to bridge the new chasm of fear that opened before him. He reached trembling hands towards her waist, gently tugged on the waist of her leggings. The game sprite helped him, wriggling her hips out of the way as the skin-tight garment edged down her thighs. Now only the sheer fabric of her panties lay between her skin and his.

Enzo couldn't help it – he had to squeeze his eyes shut again, as if he were about to stare directly into the sun. Her hands were on his, guiding them to her, edging the soft fabric downwards. "Come on now, open up those eyes."

"AndrAIa-"

"I promise, it's all right Love. Come on, now." He opened his eyes at last, the game sprite lithely slipping her long legs out of the last of her garments. He took in the full magnificence of her femininity for the first time and was struck dumb by the sight. "That's better." She knelt over him, kissed his chest softly. "Nothing to say, Lover?"

"I…I… User!"

"Enzo!" she giggled. "It's all right – I know this is a lot for you to take in."

"Oh, yeah." He rasped. Enzo had sneaked a peek at a few net files that would have horrified Dot had she known, of course, but that was a long way from seeing what he saw now, alive and breathing and warm and next to him in his bed. "It… You're beautiful."

"Thank you." The game sprite reached for his jeans and jockeys, halfway down his thighs, and edged them below his knees. "Let's make it just you and me, OK? Nothing to get in the way." She slid his pants past his feet and off, his underwear right behind them, and reached for his socks. In a nano they were off, too, and she gently massaged his feet. "Now it's just us, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded, his voice a strained squeak.

"Just how I like it." She purred, crawling up the bed until there were eye to eye, and embracing him. "Mmmm, that's nice."

His hands found the swell of her bitmap for the first time, roamed over it, soft and warm to his touch. "Oh User!"

She returned the favor. "Good thing I slowed you down earlier, I think. Oh, yes! Mmmm."

"Andri, I love you! You're so beautiful." The feel of her hands on his backside was incredible. She sighed softly as he kissed her neck. "Andri… Don't stop!"

"I won't if you won't." They concentrated on each other for a while, the only sounds in the room the soft smack of lips on skin and the excited breathing of the two sprites. Enzo felt almost as if he'd left his body – he was a stranger, watching someone else be given indescribable pleasures by the most amazing woman in the net, feeling someone else coaxed towards bone-shattering fulfillment. It couldn't possibly be happening to _him_, could it?

But then a strange thing happened to him. As the rapture in his own body grew, built, he became acutely more aware of _her_. How the barriers between them had fallen, and how the ecstasies he felt would be impossible without that oneness. _She_ was the reason for it – she was the source of all the feelings, every last one. She was giving him this gift, this rapturous pleasure, out of pure love and compassion. "Oh, Andri! Andri, I get it!"

"Hmmm? Baby…"

"It's… Ohh! It's about… About making the other one feel good! That's why it's so much better if you…Uh! If you love the person."

"Angel." The game sprite grinned and brushed damp hair out of his eyes. "You're a pretty amazing guy, you know that?"

"Andri!" He kissed her once, twice. "I want to make you feel good, AndrAIa. Like you made me feel!"

"You're doing a pretty good job of it already, Lover."

"Really? But-"

"Just trust your instincts." She whispered, lowering herself onto her back. "It's what we were made for." The boy stared at her for a nano, drifting away in her eyes again, dumbstruck be her beauty. Her gently smiling face and the flowing aquamarine hair that framed it, the round fullness of her breasts, her long legs, rippled with muscle yet soft to the eye, gently curving, and the plaintive lure of her femininity between – it was perfect, all of it, more then he could have dreamed if he'd lived to be a thousand hours old. His desire for her was pure and powerful and painfully intense. The boy lay next to her, on his side. With a shaky hand he reached out, tentatively cupped her left breast. Traced the nipple with him thumb, ever so gently. "Mmm. So nice…"

Encouraged, Enzo lowered his mouth to her other breast, the memory of the delightful sensations she'd given him earlier fresh in his processor. He felt the game sprite twirl her fingers through his hair as he tasted her with his tongue, heard her sigh as he closed his lips around her firmness. "Gently now."

"Sorry!"

"It's lovely." She smiled and so did he, and he returned to the task at hand, swooning at the taste of her. Her breathing began to escalate as he kissed her nipple, ever so gently drew on it, softly massaged her other breast with his hand. Intoxicated he moved on, lovingly ministering to her left breast as he had her right. "Sweetie, Oh…. That's so nice. Oh, Lover…"

"It's OK?"

"Don't stop, Stupid!" Enzo giggled, bounced up to give her a quick kiss on the mouth and returned to his task, exhilarated beyond words to know he was pleasing her. And pleasing her he was, judging by the sighs and low moans he heard as he tenderly kissed and suckled at her breasts.

Truth be told, as much as the young man loved pleasuring AndrAIa, he lingered at her breasts for another reason, too. It was only too plain what he should do next and, as strong as his curiosity was, he was more than a little scared to go any further. _Don't be such a coward!_ He scolded himself. _Think about how she made you feel_.

Finally the young man looked up and met AndrAIa's gaze, smiling weakly. "Andri, I… I don't know what to do next."

"Babe-"

"I know _what_, I… I mean I don't know how. I want to make you feel like I felt."

"That sounds pretty good to me." The game sprite chuckled softly, her hand still in his hair.

"I don't want to hurt you, or…or do it wrong. I want it to be perfect."

"It's perfect because it's _you_, Love. Don't worry."

"Tell me how. Please?"

She took his hand in her own, kissed it. "I trust you. Just be gentle and I'll help you a little as you go, OK?"

"OK." He tried to answer, but either his voice or his ears weren't working, because he didn't hear a sound escape his throat. Fear welling inside him, he kissed his way slowly down her body as she had his, hoping it felt as wonderful to her as it had for him. He pressed his lips just below her navel, held them there for a nano and slowly massaged her long legs. "Andri – you're so beautiful."

"That feels so nice, Love." AndrAIa slowly parted her legs and Enzo tentatively kissed the inside of her thighs, traced a finger through the fine down above her opening. "Unh! Enzo… Don't stop now, it's pixelacious."

"Mmm." The youth continued to lovingly kiss her thighs, his worry beginning to dim under the awesome power of her beauty, her femininity. The heady scent of her was overpowering, emboldening him to trail a finger between her lips. The slickness he felt there surprised him, and he glanced up. "AndrAIa?"

"That just means you're very good at what you're doing, Lover." She answered in a throaty whisper. "Please don't stop."

"OK." The slickness had its purpose and that purpose became clear to the boy almost at once, that slickness and the heat of her body seeming to draw his finger inside of her. She gasped and bucked slightly as he entered, but the light touch of her hand in his hair told Enzo that he wasn't hurting her – just the opposite. He withdrew his finger and ran it up and down her entrance slowly, over and over, each touch bringing with it a guttural sigh from the woman under him.

This was her essence – the source of all that was feminine about her, he knew that instinctively. Wanting more than anything to taste it, to lose himself in her essence, he knelt over her and pressed his lips where his finger had been nanos earlier. "Ungh! Oh, Enzo! Enzo…"

"Andri..." Both her hands were in his hair now, urging him on, but the boy needed no urging. Knowing that this pleasure she felt was his gift to her, that he was making her feel as he'd felt – that was as powerful as the fire she'd caused in him, in its own way. He caressed her softly with his mouth, tasted her gently with his tongue, overcome with love for the game sprite. "Oh. Andri…"

One of her hands left his hair at last, found her entrance, two fingers parting her lips and a third resting on a small bud of flesh inside her. "Here, Enzo." She stroked the little knob urgently for a nano and groaned. "Here, Lover. Please."

"K." he rasped, placing his finger where hers had been and rubbed slowly. She moaned from deep in her chest and smoothed his hair. He took that part of her between his lips and felt her whole body shiver, each tremor communicated directly to him by their touch. As he suckled gently on her she gasped and sighed, her breaths becoming more rapid and her muscles tensing.

"Ungh! Enzo, Lover! Lover…" The young man continued and felt the temblors increasing now, as if her entire body were shot through with core energy, running through her veins instead of blood. "Enzo… Unh! S-stop…"

"Andri?" He pulled away from her, looked to her face, his fear returning. "Did I… Did I hurt you? I'm sorry-"

"No!" AndrAIa panted heavily for a nano, catching her breath. "Oh, Lover – it was incredible. But I didn't want you to take me over the edge, that's all."

"Over the-… Why?"

The game sprite let out a big rush of air and grinned. "Because I want you inside me when it happens."

"What?" Enzo's heart leapt into his throat. "You… You mean-"

"I want us to share that, Lover." She opened her arms and he inched upwards, let her embrace him. "It's time for us to be together, Enzo. Are you ready?"

"Oh Lord. I… Yes." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "I think so."

"Don't worry. I've steered you all right so far, haven't I?"

"Yeah." He grinned weakly, his stomach doing flip-flops.

"I think it'll be pretty incredible, Baby." She kissed him softly all over his face, let her lips rest on his for a nano as she stroked his bitmap. "Feels like you're ready to me, Lover. OK?"

"K."

"OK." She leaned back, gently urged him on top of her. "Nice and slowly now, nice and slow." She parted her legs, fitted him between them. He kissed her neck, held her tightly, he the one trembling now. "Don't worry, Enzo. Just relax and trust your instincts. It'll be fine because we're together."

"Andri, I… If we're going to- What about babies? Is it OK?"

"Oh Enzo." She smiled. "You're sweet to worry about me, but it's fine. I've been running a prophylactic subroutine for hours. I'm not having any babies just yet – maybe some cycle, but not yet."

"Pho…Prophyl-"

"Birth control, Lover. It means we're fine, you don't need to worry."

"Oh! OK." His embarrassment was quickly forgotten as this new terror dawned on him full force. _My User! We're about to… I can't believe it!_ She kissed his neck and adjusted him slightly, until his weight rested comfortably atop her and he could feel the tip of his manhood trace the lips of her opening. "Uhhhhoh!" he gasped and trembled violently. _Oh, User! Please don't let a game cube drop now, Please_! _Please, not now_…

The sensation was too much for the boy, and despite his best intentions of letting AndrAIa guide him he thrust his hips downward sharply, desperate in his need for her. There was a sharp pain as he met resistance and he felt his length bend slightly. "Ow!"

"Shhh." The game sprite soothed. "Nice and slow, remember?"

"Crash it! I'm sorry- "

"Shhh." AndrAIa took his face in her hands and kissed him lightly. "No hurry, right? You're doing wonderfully – just let it happen, don't force it."

"OK. Sorry." He sighed, his maddening desire battling with embarrassment. But there was no ridicule in her smile, only love, and he couldn't help but return it after a nano. "I just want you so deleted much."

"I know. I want you too, Lover. Here we go, now. Ready?"

"I…" _Oh, User – help me! Let me not screw this up!_ "I think so."

"I think you're always ready." The game sprite laughed softly, musically. Her hands were on his hips, guiding him. "You know what to do, Enzo. Your body knows, just like mine does. Gentle now, gently… Down, there you go. Almost there, Love."

"Unnnhh!" Enzo inched his hips forward slightly, guided by AndrAIa's gentle hands, and felt the head of his organ nestle inside her. "Oh, God!"

"Relax. Nice and slow…"

_Easy for you to say!_ The boy eased his weight onto the game sprite, felt every micron of his shaft as it smoothly slid inside her, shot bolts of white-hot energy straight to his processor. Then, unbelievably, they were joined – it was really happening. "Uh, An….AndrAIa!"

"Lover."

Enzo could only grit his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut tight, heart racing and overcome by the sheer sensation and the moment itself. After a nano his hips began rising and falling furiously. "Nnnng!"

"Lover, hush now! Shhh." He felt her soft, strong hands on his behind, holding him to her.

"God – Andri! Oh…"

"Remember, Angel – slowly." AndrAIa kissed his neck softly. "I promise it'll feel much better if we go nice and slow."

"But it's so good! Oh, User-"

"I know its good." she whispered. She relaxed her hands and allowed him to rock back and forth on his hips, groaning. "Isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes!" It was such exquisite torture, fighting the urge to power his way to completion as fast as he could. The feel of her body as it sheathed him was beyond even the joys he'd felt already that night – the heat of her, the way every twitch of her muscles sent shock waves of pleasure through him. "Andri, please!"

"Mmm." She relaxed her hold a bit more, allowing him to slide half his length out of her slowly, then back in. Again. "Oh, Enzo…"

"Uhhh! Oh, God!"

"Enzo…"

"Andri…." His lips were at her neck, his hand tracing her nipple. He increased the pace of his lovemaking slowly, understanding now why she'd done what she had earlier. _Geez – I'd never have held out this long if she hadn't done that!_

"Mmm. Little Sparky…" Enzo felt the game sprite tremble slightly under him, the movement sending a wave of pleasure through his entire body. "God, that feels so good."

"User!" the youth moaned. Still AndrAIa held him, checked his pace. He slipped in and out of her slowly, agonizingly. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled their shared scent. How could it be possible – he was making love to her, a thousand dreams coming true? Did such things actually happen? The incredible pleasure washing over him was proof that they did. "AndrAIa!"

"Enzo. Ooh!" The boy felt her long legs curl around his thighs, wrapping him in their embrace. Their bodies were slippery with their perspiration now, a thin sheen that glistened in the soft light. The game sprite's breathing began to quicken and her eyes closed as if in concentration. "Oh, my…"

"Andri! AndrAIa, oh God!" Enzo had never felt such pleasure, never a shadow of the ecstasy that gripped him as AndrAIa slowly relaxed her control, allowed him to work his manhood in and out of her more forcefully. He thrust in deep, as far as he could, and gasped, reveling in the sensation. The young man rolled his hips and withdrew, then entered her again, powerfully. "I love you!"

"Lover… Oh Lover, don't stop!"

"Unnnh… AndrAIa, I… I can't… I…can't…" Her entire body quivered and Enzo groaned deeply. "I can't… I'm…"

"Enzo!" Her hands left his backside and found his hair, her lips found his and she kissed him deeply. "Oh User, yes!"

"Andri!" Enzo could feel his climax coming now, an unstoppable force that was bearing down on him with the power of the Mainframe core and some more besides. He slipped into her forcefully now, quickly, all sense of control giving way to the inevitability of the nano. There was no reason to hold back now – and he couldn't have anyway, if he'd wanted. "AndrAIa, I'm going…to…"

"Don't stop!" the game sprite moaned. "Oh User, I'm coming! Enzo, please don't stop!"

"Unnnnnggghhh!" With a roar of release the boy surrendered, felt his essence coursing through his body and into hers, pure energy shared between them in the most incredible way imaginable. He moved as quickly as he could now, hungry for as much sensation as he could survive. They were one at last – the culmination of all his hopes, his dreams, the yearnings of his heart. They were one, and the force of it was greater even than he imagined. Enzo gave himself to her completely, gasped and moaned with her as she writhed under him, climaxed with him. "Uhhhoh, Andri!"

"Enzo! User! User…" She gritted her teeth and clamped herself around him tightly, breath escaping her in ragged pants. Her excitement stirred Enzo to new heights of ecstasy and his completion refused to wane, building and building in intensity as he bucked his hips, sure his heart would burst from the power of it. Every nerve in his body rang with the pleasure of the game sprite, she filling him just as surely as he was her, and he finally understood what she'd told him – it could only be this incredible if you loved the sprite you were with, and with all your heart.

The young man wasn't sure how long his orgasm lasted – it could have been a microsecond or an hour, for all he knew. But he knew that it was wonderful – an epiphany of sensation, and that she writhed and gasped in the throes of her own climax in perfect harmony with his. As they shared their pleasure they were one sprite, all the barriers between them utterly shattered by the force of their love, and he knew that it was the most elusive privilege he could ever aspire to. She was perfect, and as they shared each other he became a part of her perfection.

The next thing Enzo was aware of was the sound of their breathing, shallow and fast, slowly tapering to a symphony of slow, deep gasps. His eyesight slowly returned to him and he could dimly perceive the aquamarine of her hair, smell her intoxicating tang of salt and sea. He was atop her, her skin soft and hot against his own, her hands tracing a slow path across his back. "Ohh… AndrAIa."

"Shhhh." Her lips were at his neck, nuzzling him softly. He kissed her behind the ear, tasted her sweat. "My User…"

"You're incredible." He whispered, unable to raise his voice above a thin breeze against her cheek. He gently slipped out of her and lowered his weight to the bed, at her side. "I love you so much, AndrAIa."

"I know, Sweetheart." The game sprite smiled and stroked his cheek as they shared a pillow, face to face. "I love you too."

"I can't… That was incredible!"

"You were wonderful, Enzo."

"Really?"

"Wonderful. You have no idea."

"I…" As much as the boy wanted to believe her, the memory of their shared intensity fresh in his mind, the notion seemed too good to be true. "I'm sorry I was so… So fast. I'm really sorry!"

"Crash!" AndrAIa sighed, shaking her head. "Are you blind _and_ basic, silly boy?"

"What? I-"

"Enzo, Enzo…" The game sprite kissed his forehead and took his face in her hands. "What did you think all that moaning and gasping was about? You made me come, you beautiful boy!"

"I… I _did_?"

"Yes, Sweetheart. It was incredible."

"Alphanumeric!" The boy's already flushed face turned a deeper shade of red. "That's fantastic. But, um… AndrAIa?"

"Mmm?"

"Um – what does that _mean_ exactly?"

The girl laughed, just briefly, and seeing the hurt on Enzo's face kissed him tenderly. "It means you did what you said you wanted to, Enzo. You made me feel like I made you feel."

Enzo felt like his heart would burst, again. "Oh User – really?"

"Where've you _been_ for the last ten micros, Silly?"

Now Enzo laughed, a schoolboy giggle, and kissed the game sprite. "It's so cool! I knew you _liked_ it and everything and that was good all by itself, But I guess I didn't… I dunno. I didn't know how it happens for a girl. What's it like?"

"Hmmm, now." AndrAIa wrapped her arms around the young man and drew him to her. "If I were to ask _you_ that question, do you think you could describe it?"

"I… I guess not." Enzo smiled. He hugged the game sprite tightly and observed, not for the first time, just how wonderful her body felt next to his. "So it's like it is for me?"

"I don't really know, Babe. I don't have what you have, do I?" She gave his now relaxed manhood a playful squeeze. "So I couldn't say exactly. But I think it's pretty close. It's just a wonderful feeling all over your body, energy and tingling and the most incredible pleasure you could ever imagine. And it feels like it lasts forever, when it's really good."

"And was it… really good? Just now?"

"Really _great_." She smiled. "And you know what else?"

"What?"

"It's a lot tougher for a girl to have that happen than it is for a boy. Just about _anything_ will set you guys off, won't it?" Enzo giggled and blushed again. "But lots of times, a woman will make love with a man and won't get that special feeling. It's nice, but it's not the same. It only happens for us when it's very, very special." She kissed him again, slowly and gently, for a long time. "And you made it happen for me, Enzo. That's how special and wonderful you are."

"Oh, Man – I did? I really did?"

"Yes! You were gentle and sweet and very, very sexy and you made me feel just incredible."

"AndrAIa!" Enzo kissed her, hugged her, felt like his heart would burst yet again from sheer happiness. "I can't believe it! I was so worried, I thought you wouldn't like it with me."

"Why, Lover? Why would you ever think that?"

"I don't know." The youth sighed, closing his eyes and resting his cheek on her smooth back. "I just didn't think I'd be very good at it, and I thought I… You know."

"What?"

"I thought I was clumsy. And I thought I might not be… Crash! You know. _Enough_."

"Sweetie!" The game sprite took his face in her hands again. "First of all, you don't need to worry about _that_."

"R-really? You promise?"

"Promise – that isn't anything for you to be concerned about, believe me. And you were anything but clumsy. You were…" She kissed his nose. "Sweet." His ear. "Gentle." His cheek. "Strong." His lips. "And wonderful. It was so incredible for me because it was _you_, Lover."

"Andri-"

"I was pretty excited to be with you, Enzo. You're a real hottie."

"AndrAIa! Stop…"

"You are." She grinned, nibbling his ear playfully. "I can't believe the stuff you were thinking about. Why do you guys spend so much time worrying about your penis, for User's sake?"

"AndrAIa!"

"What?"

"Don't say that." He sighed. "It's embarrassing."

"I think after everything we've done tonight you can say 'penis', Lover."

"Oh, AndrAIa! Stop it, please, it's embarrassing!"

"Silly." The game sprite fell back to the pillow, stroking Enzo's hair affectionately. "I didn't even know that's what it was called until Matrix told me. I called it his 'thing'!"

"No way – really?"

"Yeah." AndrAIa giggled. "He always got embarrassed easily, just like you." She favored the boy with a gentle peck on the lips. "I know it's tough, your first time. I know how you worry about every little thing, everything about _you_. About screwing up."

"Yeah." He nodded, staring deeply into her eyes. "I wanted it to be perfect. For _you_."

"And that's why it _was_, Angel." She kissed his forehead. "And that's why I wanted to be with you, your first time. Your first time… I hope it was everything you dreamed it would be."

"Andri, it was a million times better. A trillion! I dreamed about it so much, all the time, it seemed like… But that was never like this. Not even close." He brushed her lips softly with a finger. "Thank you."

"No. Don't do that." The game sprite whispered. "I did this because I _wanted_ to, Little Sparky. Because I wanted you to realize just how amazing you are. So don't you thank me, OK?"

"OK." She could say that all she wanted, but Enzo's heart would always be filled with gratitude, and he knew it. "How about I tell you that you're the most beautiful sprite in the net. The most beautiful sprite that ever _lived_. Is that OK?"

"Sure." She grinned. They kissed again, and he allowed his hands to roam all over her exquisite skin. "Baby…"

"I dream about you every cycle. Every cycle and every night. I always have and I always will."

"I know, Baby. I know."

It was all the boy could do to keep from thanking her, it was practically screaming to be let out of his lungs. His love for her at that nano was the strongest force in the net – for her beauty, her spirit, her laugh, the inherent goodness that ran through to her core. But he held those words in, because she'd asked him to. He was silent as they kissed, as his hands found her behind and massaged it gently, silent as she purred and sighed in utter contentment. "Mmm. Enzo…"

"AndrAIa." Her hands were all over his body, leaving tongues of flame in their wake. Her body rubbed against his, their shared perspiration joining them in effortless union, igniting the fire in the young sprite once again. "God, I love you."

"Mmmm." She kissed his neck, nibbled gently at his skin, his back arching with the sensation as her tongue sensuously caressed his nipples. "You taste nice, Lover."

"Oh, God!" The youth fell back to the bed, helpless under her ministrations as she kissed him all over, kneaded his thighs and hips. "User!"

"Hush, Lover." The game sprite rained kisses all over his body. "Hush, Beautiful Boy."

"Don't stop, AndrAIa. Please."

"Do you want me, Enzo?"

"Yes." He whispered. "User, yes!"

"You're insatiable, aren't you? Good." she smiled, encircled his length in a warm palm. She stroked him a few times and he was ready once more, his urgent need for her a burning ache in his gut. "Because I definitely want _you_."

"Andri – I need you! Andri-"

"Good thing you're 1.6, Lover." AndrAIa kissed her way up to his navel before straddling his hips, knees wide. She leaned low and kissed him deeply, and it was glorious. Enzo gently cupped a breast in each palm, brushed a nipple with each thumb. Her hand was at his middle, guiding him, they were almost touching, their bodies so close, and then he felt her sex against his and gasped at the sensation. "Unnh!"

"Shhh." She lowered her weight slowly, their nipples touching in a jolt of fire, and he felt her folds nestling around his shaft, her weight almost on him now, and then he was inside her completely and they were kissing and he nearly fainted from the pleasure of it. "Mmm, Lover."

"Crash! Oh Andri-"

"Mmm." His hands found her backside as she held her place for a nano, kissed him and gently kneaded him with her muscles. Every breath she took was a spasm of ecstasy for the young sprite. AndrAIa began a slow rocking motion with her hips and threw her head back with a sigh.

"Unnh. Andri! Oh, God!" Enzo could only surrender himself to the game sprite completely, and he did so with abandon. Her power over him was complete – each movement of her body left him helpless with pleasure, her weight a delightful presence holding him to the bed. He squeezed and kneaded her bitmap and buried his face in her shoulder, content to give himself to her unreservedly.

"Oh User, yes!" AndrAIa breathed. Her movements were slow, controlled, but to Enzo they felt as if they were cutting him in two. Each rock of her hips caused him to groan, helpless in ecstasy, and he could feel his even his toes splaying as they tingled with the energy he shared with the game sprite. "Unhh, Enzo…"

The youth could only gasp, his teeth clenched, beyond the capacity for speech. AndrAIa's breasts swayed with the motion of her hips, and the boy could feel the tension in her rippling muscles as he held her bitmap with clenched hands. Faced with such unutterable pleasure he should have finished almost immediately, he knew it, but his body had already performed twice and his staying power seemed to grow with each moment, the bliss building and building far past the level he ever would have believed possible.

AndrAIa groaned from deep in her chest and arched her back, then slowly lowered herself until her weight was atop the boy, their bodies joined from lips to toes. Enzo felt a tremble run though her, a gasp, then she cried out and so did he as he felt her clamp tight around him, deep inside. She shuddered, began to grind her body against his, slowly, and he cried out again. The pleasure grew still, until surely he thought he must climax, and grew greater still. He began to probe upwards hungrily, towards her, their bodies meeting in an explosion of sensation, then again, and again.

The game sprite's hands were in his hair and she kissed him all over his face, urgently, both sprites breathing raggedly and shallowly now. Enzo felt the tremor start deep inside her and move throughout her body and knew that she was finishing yet again, heard her gasp and moan with the power of it. Each meeting of their bodies was a revelation, each shared thrust a new level of existence. They were pioneers, explorers, discovering an undiscovered system with each passing nano. The young sprite groaned urgently and held on to AndrAIa for dear life, eyes closed to the world and helpless against the power of their union.

Lost in time Enzo held her, buried his face in her hair, not knowing if the trembling in her was yet another climax or whether she'd simply never stopped. At long last, when he was sure his heart would finally give out, he felt his own completion surging inside him. It was thunderous and as it gripped him he wailed softly, sobbed with sweet release as he shared his energy with the game sprite once more. They moved against each other urgently, each trying to extend the moment for as long as possible, trying the hold on to the power of their shared passion even as it slowly slipped away from them like handfuls of clouds.

When it was over, incredibly and blissfully and tragically over, neither sprite could utter a word. Utterly spent they lay still for long nanos, still joined. The only sound in the room was their shared breathing, synchronized, gradually slowing from urgent gasps to languid sighs of contentment.

At long last AndrAIa slowly, laboriously eased herself off the young sprite and settled her weight next to him in their shared bed. She kissed him once, wordlessly, and lay her head down on his chest, her arm draped across his stomach. Enzo felt as though he was paralyzed, unable to move and struck dumb by the power of their lovemaking. He felt tired as he never had before, utterly spent and empty, but in it's own way it was glorious – as glorious as the white-hot intensity of their shared completion. Their was no past and no future – only the here and now, and the glorious sprite that he loved with all his heart. He kissed her soft hair and tousled it slowly with a hand, left it there as he felt his eyelids droop and blissful exhaustion overcome him.

If Enzo slept it was a sleep such as he'd never experienced before – a kind of warm, cottony cocoon that was completely filled with AndrAIa. He thought and dreamt of her, felt the warmth of her body against his own, was filled by her. Perhaps he never really slept at all – perhaps he experienced only the complete lack of energy the was left in the wake of their lovemaking and lay still, eyes closed, for how long he couldn't be sure.

When his eyes opened she was there, next to him on the pillow, stroking his chest with one gentle hand. A smile creased her face as his eyes opened to her world. "Hey there."

"Hey." He whispered, caressing her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, Baby."

The boy continued to play with her hair slowly for a while, struck dumb by the depth and power of his love for her, his muscles loose and languid with an utter weariness that felt as natural as breathing. How could there possibly be a tomorrow, after such a shattering and fulfilling night? Perhaps it would never come – maybe they could lie together in silence forever. "Stay with me tonight? Please?"

"Yes." She whispered. The game sprite kissed his cheek and reached over him, turning off his bedside lamp and leaving them in darkness. She laid her head on his shoulder and Enzo took her in his arms, sighing with the joy of having her close. He kissed her hair softly and closed his eyes, allowing sweet, pure sleep to take him at last.

_I've been watching your world from afar,  
I've been trying to be where you are,  
And I've been secretly falling apart,  
I'll see.  
To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,  
You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,  
You turn every head but you don't see me._

I'll put a spell on you,  
You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you.  
And when I wake you,  
I'll be the first thing you see,  
And you'll realize that you love me.

Yeah...  
Yeah...

Sometimes, the last thing you want comes in first,  
Sometimes, the first thing you want never comes,  
And I know, the waiting is all you can do,  
Sometimes...

I'll put a spell on you,  
You'll fall asleep,  
I'll put a spell on you,  
And when I wake you,  
I'll be the first thing you see,  
And you'll realize that you love me.

I'll put a spell on you,  
You'll fall asleep 'cos I'll put a spell on you,  
And when I wake you,  
I'll be the first thing you see,  
And you'll realize that you love me, yeah...

yeah...

_yeah…_

Enzo woke slowly, emerging from layer upon layer of dreams, and he lay with his eyes closed for a long time. What if he opened them and she were gone – what if she'd never been there with him, sharing his bed and her very self? What if it had all been just another dream, a dream far better and more real then he'd ever had, but a dream nonetheless? Was it possible?

Soon enough the young spite realized that the warm, soft presence he felt pressing against him was no dream – the slow, peaceful song of AndrAIa's breathing was not a figment of his overactive imagination. With a flutter of his heart he opened his eyes and there she was – her aquamarine hair spilling over his chest, her body draped over his, perfect and breathtaking in the dim light of early morning that seeped through his window. He gasped with the shock of it and could only stare, helpless to speak for long moments just to be in her presence.

A spike of sadness shot through him, sharp and agonizing. The reality of their night together was stored in his memory, every detail, but with the wisdom of day he knew that she would rise from the bed in a little while, walk away from him forever. The thought was almost too much to bear, but not quite – there was something else there, something that hadn't been before. No matter what else he did in his life, he'd still have what they shared – the fire and passion and sheer ecstasy of it, definitely, but even more important was the gift she'd given him. AndrAIa had given herself to him – she loved him, even if it wasn't exactly in the way he would have wanted. She thought he deserved her love, was worthy of it. Even if it was only for one night, it would always be with him – wherever he went and wherever his life took him, and whomever he shared it with.

The boy heard one quick breath, then two, and felt the game sprite stir against him. She slowly and languidly stretched, cat-like, and from the crook of his arm turned her head to stare at him. There was a nano of startled recognition, then what the young sprite was sure was a sad smile. "Oh, my."

"Hi." Enzo whispered, trying very hard not to cry.

"Oh, Sweetie." AndrAIa brushed her hand across his face and kissed his shoulder. "I forgot there for a nano, I really did. I thought maybe I'd dreamt the whole thing. When I woke up and had my eyes closed, I thought for a nano I was a girl again."

"What?"

"I could feel you, I could smell you… They say smell is the most primal sense of all, you know. It's tied right into out memories." She yawned and kissed his cheek. "When I woke up, I was in another time and another place."

"Really? But I… I mean, I'm Matrix, right? We're the _same_."

"You're Enzo." AndrAIa smiled. "You're different than he was in so many ways – even then. But your scent, your skin… It took me back to all those hours ago, in the games." She sighed deeply and laid her head on his chest. "You smell like shyness, and discovering, and wanting someone so badly that it makes you hurt, all over. You smell like being scared and excited and totally, completely in love."

"I…" The boy gently played with her hair, helpless to give voice to the emotions inside him. "Oh, Andri."

"You're so young yet, Love. Your whole world is just opening up. It's a wonderful time."

"I guess." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder… You know? I wonder what's going to happen to me. The net seems so big and I just can't imagine myself out in it, being an adult."

"Scary, isn't it?"

"No." Enzo said hastily. "Not scary, exactly. Just… Well, maybe a little."

"Sweetie." The game sprite kissed his chest softly. "You're going to be a very, very exceptional man. Trust me on this – I know."

"How? I mean – I don't feel very exceptional."

"I know things. About people." AndrAIa smiled. "Maybe it's because I'm different from all of you – because I come from a game. When I see someone, I know them right away. I knew your brother was special – I could feel it. That's why I gave my life to him and left the only place I ever knew."

"Really?" the young sprite whispered. He was ready to believe AndrAIa could do pretty much anything, but her words didn't seem to fit _him_ somehow. "I know _he's_ special."

"Enzo…" The game sprite rose up and wrapped her arms around him. "You have the best of all of us, Love. _Our_ best. That's why we all worry about you – you're the future we're all hoping for."

"AndrAIa?"

"Matrix is strong, you see – strong and determined and courageous. Just like you are. But he doesn't have your heart, Little Sparky. You have the gentlest, warmest heart in the net. He changed – he _had_ to change, to survive. But that's all right – he had his destiny, and he's done the things he had to do. But he grew up cold and hard, because he had to."

"Cold, and… I don't think he's all those things." Enzo whispered.

"I know." AndrAIa nodded. "He's better - a different sprite now than when we came home, and I love him with all my code. But he lost something that he'll never get back – something that you have, and we all want to make sure you always will."

"But Andri, I-"

"You have his strength. Dot's given you so much, too – her dedication, her responsibility – her loyalty to you, forever. Bob's given you his knowledge, his training, his sense of justice." She grinned and kissed Enzo's nose. "And I've given you my love, Love. Always. You're going to take all those things with you, wherever you go and whatever you do. You're the best of all of us, Angel. And there's a girl out there, somewhere, who's going to love you more than anything in the net. And you're going to have a wonderful life together."

Enzo squeezed her to him, held her. "I can't imagine it, AndrAIa, no matter how I try."

"Hey – how many sprites have saved the entire net when they were 0.1? Only one that I know of. You were born special, Love – and you always will be. I know it."

"Andri - I love you. God, I love you!"

"I know." She whispered. "I'll always know."

The boy tried to smile, tried to be all the things AndrAIa said he was. "So – I… I guess I'm not a virgin anymore, huh?"

"Oh, _definitely_ not." She said with a small shake of the head. "Goodness me…"

"AndrAIa, was… Was it as incredible as I remember it? Or was I dreaming that part?"

She smiled again, stroked his cheek. "Honey, it was beyond incredible. I promise – you definitely weren't dreaming about that."

"K."

"Oh, Enzo…" AndrAIa raised herself on an elbow, kissed his forehead. "I hope I haven't done something terrible. I hope I haven't done something terrible to you-"

"What? Andri, no-"

"I hope I haven't hurt you, Baby. If I have, I hope you'll be able to forgive me some cycle."

"No. Stop." He took her face in his hands and kissed her, her own pain like a sharp stab in his gut. "You didn't hurt me. It was the most incredible night of my life. Every nano of it was perfect."

"But Enzo, you… You're not an adult. Not really. And you know we can never-"

"I know." He sighed. "I know I'm not. Not yet. And I know we can't. But it doesn't matter – it was still perfect. And I'll never forget it. It was the best night of my life."

"Enzo-"

"I'm almost a grown-up – closer than before last night, anyway. And I know it was only one night. But I'll always remember it – thank you."

"We _talked_ about that."

"Sorry!"

The game sprite chuckled softly, snuggled close to him. "You really are wonderful. I want you to always remember _that_."

"I will. Thanks to you."

"OK." She smiled. "User, it still feels like a dream, though."

"But it wasn't."

"No… It wasn't. Baby – you'll be OK? Really?"

"Yeah." The boy returned her smile, easily and naturally. For the first time since he could remember, he thought maybe he actually _would_ be OK.

"You're so young." The game sprite sighed. "But you're still an amazing sprite. Some girl is going to be very lucky the cycle you fall in love with her."

"I guess."

"Babe – you know we can never tell anyone about last night, don't you? Not a word – not a soul. If your brother ever-"

"I know." He whispered. Enzo couldn't deny that a big part of him wanted to shout out to the world – to sing aloud the glory of what had happened, to every sprite, binome and virus in the net. But another part of him, deeper inside, knew better. "I like it that no one else will ever know. I like it that it's something only you and me will share, forever and ever."

"That's right." She nodded, punctuating with a kiss on the cheek. "This belongs to us, Enzo. Neither one of us will ever forget it."

"Never." User, she was beautiful – the boy felt like he could stare at her forever. But at least her beauty would always be inside of him now - a part of him that nothing and no one could ever take away. That thought warmed him, straight to his core.

"Crash." The game sprite chuckled. "You've got to get ready for school, you know."

"School? Sheesh, AndrAIa-"

"Hey – I'm not letting you skip out on classes on my watch, Dot would kill me!" She said it with a stern glare in his direction, but it soon dissolved into a sputtering chuckle, then the both of them were laughing helplessly in each others' arms. They laughed for a long time, utterly carefree, then sat up wearily. "Shower-time for you, I think." She sniffed tentatively. "Then me."

"I guess." Enzo sighed. He turned to look out over his bedroom, struck by how much smaller it seemed a cycle before, and was momentarily startled to see a pair of dark eyes staring back at him. "Frisket!"

"Frisket?" AndrAIa frowned, staring at the dog. He returned her gaze thoughtfully, head on paws and what could easily pass for a knowing glint in his eyes. "That dog!"

"AndrAIa?"

She shook her head slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "He knows things, that dog does. And he's got a pretty good memory, too. Scat!" She good-naturedly tossed Enzo's t-shirt at the dog and he snuffled as it draped over his head. With a jaunty shake of his shoulders he tossed it aside and backed into the hallway before setting down again, head on paws.

Enzo laughed, rising to his hands and knees to stare out into the hall. "He looks… I don't know. He looks like he would laugh. If he could."

"Yeah." AndrAIa scowled. She tousled Enzo's hair and slapped him on his bitmap sharply. "You – get going. Shower time. I'll make the java."

"Ow!" Enzo grinned ruefully, rubbing himself and staring at the game-sprite, one eye closed.

"Gonna be a busy cycle for me. Gonna have to do laundry, that's for sure…"

"Um – Andri?"

The game sprite eyed him warily. "Yeah?"

He grabbed her hands and smiled, felt himself blush. "It's really early, normally I wouldn't even be up yet…"

"Enzo-"

"You smell nice to _me_, but you said you wanted to take a shower and all." The boy raised an eyebrow. "How about it?"

The game sprite shook her head, laughing. "It's the code. It must be in the code!"

"C'mon – please?"

"Unnnh… Enzo! This isn't a game, you know!"

"I know." He sighed. "I know it's just now, and nothing else. But how about it?"

The game sprite sighed, cast an eye towards his middle. "You really are incorrigible, aren't you?"

"It's like that every morning." The young sprite mumbled. "Sorry."

"Hmmm. Oh, I suppose we-"

"Pixelacious!"

"Babe – wait!"

"C'mon!" Enzo giggled and dragged the game sprite by the hands, she laughing and protesting every step of the way. They leapt over Frisket and down the hall and he felt free and light, a child and a grown-up all at once. They stood in the tub and hugged each other and he couldn't help but smile, couldn't help be overwhelmed by the perfection of his love for her. That was something else that no one could ever take away from him. And even though he still felt a stab of sadness and regret about the future he knew that sadness would never control him, knew as the steam rose and his lips met hers that whatever happened in his life, the power of his love for her – and her love for him - would be a source of strength when he needed it. And on that morning, with the Academy and his future and an unknown universe opening up before him, that was enough.


End file.
